Battle of Pine Valley
United States |side2 = Soviet Union |commanders1 = Jeremiah Sawyer | Wilkins | Mark Bannon | James Webb | Parker }} |commanders2 = Unknown Soviet commander(s) |forces1 =U.S. Army *5th Battalion **Alpha Company (Webb) **Bravo Company (Parker) **Charlie Company (Bannon) United States National Guard *Washington National Guard *Oregon National Guard U.S. Navy *Pacific Fleet (USS Missouri) |forces2 =Soviet Army *Unknown Soviet Airborne Troops *At least one brigade |casualties1 = Moderate |casualties2 = Moderate to heavy }} The Battle of Pine Valley, a coastal town south of Seattle, was the center of a major conflict between the Soviet Army and the United States Army. The Soviets had captured the town in order to use it as a staging point for their advance down the U.S. West Coast. The U.S. Army must stop the Soviet invasion here before it expands too far. Prelude In the fall of 1989, three months after the Soviets start World War III in Europe, the Soviets hoped to divert U.S. forces in Europe back to the United States mainland by launching an invasion at Seattle. Seattle was occupied in a matter of hours and the U.S. forces around Seattle were forced to retreat. Now as the Soviet invasion force begins to move out of the Seattle area and move south, elements of the U.S. 5th Battalion led by Colonel Jeremiah Sawyer, move towards the coastal town of Pine Valley to make a firm stand against the incoming Soviet invasion force. Elements of the Oregon National Guard, led by Colonel Wilkins, were coming in from the south to reinforce the understrengthed 5th battalion. In order to hold the town, they must first retake the town from an airborne unit that landed there a few days before. The order of battle for 5th Battalion was as follows: *Alpha Company: Captain James Webb *Bravo Company: Lieutenant Parker *Charlie Company: Captain Mark Bannon The Battle of Pine Valley Preparation Before the 5th Battalion could set up defenses, they first had to retake the town from an advance force of Soviet airborne infantry and vehicles which had landed there on the invasion day. Webb's scouts reported that the main Soviet force was swiftly approaching the town, thus necessitating that they evict the local Soviet presence quickly so they would have time to establish their own defenses within the town itself. Otherwise, the Americans would be caught unprepared between two enemy forces and wiped out. Alpha and Charlie companies formed the main thrust of the American attack, striking from the north to secure the local supermarket. Bravo, meanwhile, was ordered to launch a flank attack from the east and secure the town's main gas station. The main strike went poorly; despite having taken the supermarket after a determined struggle, the large numbers of Soviet vehicles and anti-tank infantry bogged down Charlie Company's advance, forcing Alpha Company to move up and take over the attack. Fortunately for the Americans, Parker's strike on the gas station was successful, and Bravo Company was quickly brought to bear against the right flank of the main Soviet defense, catching them between the hammer and the anvil, and quickly eradicating the Soviet strongpoints, allowing for a full breakthrough. As the main line of Soviet defenders crumbled, their surviving troops retreated to the local TV station, before calling down a persistant artillery barrage to shield their flight and prevent the Americans from overtaking them. Skirting around the south side of town and cutting through the woods, Parker led his men to strike the rear of the Soviet position, killing their artillery spotter and bringing down the remaining defenders. In short order, 5th Battalion had mopped up any remaining resistance, and began preparing for the coming onslaught. Sawyer's Defense With the town secured, the Americans established a new defensive perimeter, holding to hold off the enemy attack until Colonel Wilkins could arrive to crush the enemy. Each Company was assigned to a different approach into the town in the hopes that they could stall the Soviets as long as possible; Webb and Alpha Company guarded the south-eastern approach beneath the scientific research complex, Parker and Bravo used the town supermarket in the north as their strongpoint, while Bannon and Charlie Company took positions at the gas station on the east side to halt any Soviet attackers coming up the main road. A smaller unit of artillery was located on the high ground at the research complex, where their shells could be brought to bear more effectively. The Americans also had one last ace up their sleeves, that of the battleship U.S.S. Missouri, which was heading for Pine Valley Bay in the hopes that its guns could be of some assistance. The Soviet attack came from all three sides, forcing the Americans into a desperate struggle for survival. Parker's defense of the supermarket, though determined and effective, was abandoned when the Soviets deployed a massive artillery barrage against it, forcing Bravo Company to pull back before they were annihilated. Meanwhile, Charlie Company was suffering losses, forcing Sawyer to deploy some of Parker's repair units, as well as Second Platoon of Alpha Company to bolster the line. This left Alpha vulnerable, and despite their stoic defense of the south-eastern highway, they were forced back in the face of an overwhelming Soviet assault. The position was saved only with the intervention of Parker, who plugged the gap and brought the enemy attack to a halt. The numerous civilian homes on his right flank were garrisoned with infantry, inflicting heavy losses on the Soviets and funnelling them into the teeth of his armoured units, where their concentrated firepower cut them apart. An attempt by the Soviets to establish mortar batteries to bring the the defenders down from range was foiled by some brave volunteers from Bravo, and thanks to their effectiveness in defending the southern approach, Alpha Company was able to regroup in good order at a secondary defensive position. At this point, the Americans might have been able to defeat the Soviet attack as it stood...if not for Bannon. Facing a considerable force of Soviet tanks and suffering heavy casualties, Bannon ordered Charlie Company to fall back to the town square, despite Colonel Sawyer's demand they stay and fight. With the eastern flank of their defensive perimeter effectively collapsing due to Bannon's retreat, Sawyer had no choice but to pull the entire battalion back to the town square, unwilling to let Alpha and Brave Companies be outflanked and destroyed piecemeal. A new defensive line was established and the local artillery detatchment was saved from a company of Soviets, before being moved into the town square. Here, the Americans would make their last stand, and hope that their massed firepower and the narrowness of the town's streets would be enough to break the back of the offensive. Enter the Missouri Despite their best efforts and those of the U.S. Air Force, the Americans were slowly being ground down to a pulp by the superior numbers of the Soviet attackers. Wilkins and his forces were still several miles out, and the Soviets had managed to push their way towards the town centre, leaving Sawyer no choice but to order a retreat to the beach. Fate, however, was smiling on the men of the 5th Battalion, as the U.S.S. Missouri had finally arrived to support the beleaguered ground forces. While the rest of the battalion fell back, Parker and Bravo Company stayed in defense of what remained of the town church, relaying firing coordinates to the gunners of the Missouri. The battleship's incredible firepower crushed the enemy attack, as shell after shell reduced the Soviet armoured regiments to scrap metal, laying waste to what was left of the town and enabling the Americans to hold on until the arrival of Wilkins, who was able to quickly mop the remaining enemy units. Aftermath The Battle of Pine Valley was a decisive U.S. victory, which gave the Army a chance to catch its breath, and when the time came, to prepare the defense of Fort Teller. The casualties for the Soviets were heavy in the thousands and hundreds of their precious and veteran tank and armoured units demolished, far more than the US sustained. With these losses and fearing that the Americans would immediately counterattack and attempt to retake Seattle, the Soviets pulled back and consolidated their position, waiting for reinforcements to launch a new offensive, which lead to the next battle, the Battle of Cascade Falls. Category:Battles